Local fuel prices continue to rise, breaking the $4 mark for regular gasoline.
For mid-Hudson Valley residents, the question is how much higher prices will rise in the lead-up to summer, when they traditionally spike in the peak driving season.
The retail price for a gallon of regular gasoline in New York rose 6.9 cents last week to average $4 Sunday, according to the price-tracking website GasBuddy.com. In Dutchess County, prices ranged from $3.89 per gallon up to $4.09, according to GasBuddy.com. In Ulster County, prices ranged from $3.89 to $4.09.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts that the price for a gallon of regular gasoline will increase by about $0.12 from its April 11 survey price to the June monthly average.
Prices are expected to peak sometime in June, said Laurie Falter, an industry economist for the EIA.
"Right now, we aren't showing a huge increase from where we are right now," Falter said.
But there is a lot of uncertainty in that projection. Turmoil in the Middle East or North Africa could drive prices even higher, as could a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, she said.
Rising crude oil prices drive up the cost of gasoline. While the U.S. does not get a large percentage of its oil from Libya, the situation there still affects the global market. Another factor driving up the cost of oil is the rapid economic development in places like China and India, which increases worldwide demand, she said.
Consumer reaction
The $4 gallon isn't anything New Yorkers haven't suffered through before.
Customers buying gasoline at the Citgo station near Marist College on Monday seemed annoyed — but resigned — to the higher prices.
"It's messing up my life," said Henry Williams, 45, a Town of Poughkeepsie resident, as he put 2.4 gallons of gasoline in his Plymouth Voyager. The bill: $10.
Cory Weil, 22, said even with his small four-cylinder 2000 Mitsubishi, it still costs about $30 to fill up.
Weil, a former Town of Poughkeepsie resident, said he tries not to get too upset about things he can't control, like gas prices.
